Handle-swivel arrangement

ABSTRACT

Two pivotally mounted clamping levers, biased apart by a spring, clamp on a pivotal rod that remains parallel to the pipe handle. The clamping holds the pipe handle in any desired angular position.

United States Patent Leon Seilaz Koppigen, Switzerland 852,365

Aug. 22, 1969 Mar. 30, 1971 J. & L. Seilaz A.G. Koppigen, Switzerland Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HANDLE-SWIVEL ARRANGEMENT 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

Int. Cl Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,617 10/1899 Hansen 306/4X 1,662,069 3/1928 Keilig 306/4 1,792,850 2/1931 Looft 306/4 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Schroeder, Siegfried & Ryan ABSTRACT: Two pivotally mounted clamping levers, biased apart by a spring, clamp on a pivotal rod that remains parallel to the pipe handle. The clamping holds the pipe handle in any desired angular position.

PATENTEU man I97! I INVENTQR Leon Sew/a2 BYE arrg/vns HANDLE-SWIVEL ARRANGEMENT The invention relates to a handle-swivel arrangement having a stationary part and a pivotal part, particularly suited to hand guided floor appliances, such as electric floor polishers, machines for cleaning and sanding floors, vacuum cleaners, and other hand-guided machines of all kinds.

With prior art handle-swivel arrangements, the appliance handle can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal median plane only through the provided steps and locked in these steps.

All of these arrangements have the disadvantage that the handle and its grip cannot be positioned to suit perfectly the size of the person operating the appliance.

An object of the invention is to provide a handle-swivel arrangement that is free of this disadvantage.

This object and others of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

One embodiment will be described, with reference to the FIGS. of the accompanying drawing, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in cross section, of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly cut away, of the invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing 1 of the handleswivel arrangement is shown as pivotally connected at its lower extremity by pivot pins 3 and 4 to a mounting member 2 which is adapted to be fixed to an appliance (not shown). A rocking lever, or a handle pipe 5 is secured to the upper end of the housing 1 through a curved plate 6 and screws 7. Located within the pipe 5 is an operating rod 8 which leads to a grip (not shown) at its upper extremity. The lower extremity of the operating rod 8 extends through a bushing 9 positioned in the end of the pipe 5. The handle-swivel arrangement includes a clamping structure having an upper clamping lever 10 which is pivotally mounted on pin 11 extending through the sides of the housing 1, as will be seen in H0. 2. In addition, a pair of side plates 12 and 12a are mounted on the pin 11 on either side of the lever 10 which lever includes a hub portion through which pin 11 extends to journal the same with the hub portion having a rise or nose 10a thereon. A lower clamping lever 13 is positioned adjacent lever 10 and is joumaled on the side plates 12 and 12a through a pivot pin 14, the lever 13 having a hub portion through which the pin 14 extends with a rise or nose portion 13a on the hub. in addition, the levers 10 and 13 have stops 15 and 15a along the extent of the same which are aligned to be positioned precisely together in the unlocked position of the handle-swivel arrangement. Lever 10 includes an extension 10b beyond the stop 15 which is adapted to be engaged by the rod 8 to push against the same. A smooth clamping pipe 18 is pivoted on the mounting member 2 through the pivot 3 and is positioned generally parallel to the housing 1 and off set from the same. it extends through bores or apertures 17 and 17a in the levers l0 and 13 respectively which apertures or bores are double sided and beveled for the purpose of clamping against the pipe 18. A compression spring 16 is positioned around pipe 18 and between the levers 10 and 13 to bias the levers apart and push the extension 10b or lever 10 against the rod 8. With the levers biased apart, the beveled surfaces bite or clamp into the clamping pipe 18 to hold the handle in a rigid angular position with respect to the mounting member 2. The side plates 12 and 120 which mount the lever 13 parallel to the lever 10 also hold a rod 18 parallel to the housing 1.

Whenever it is desired to change the position of the handle pipe relative to the mounting member 2 or the appliance (not shown) upon which it is mounted, the rod 8 is moved downward or pushed by means of its actuating grip (not shown) to rotate the lever 10 on its pivot compressing the spring 16 and causing the lever 13 to similarly move as the rises 10a and 13a engage and until the stops l5 and 15a reach abutting relationship. in this position of the clamping levers, the beveled surfaces are positioned normal to the extent of the clamping pipe 18 allowing the pipe to slide in the bores and the position of the handle through movement of the pipe 5 to be changevd with resplect to the mounting member 2 on the appliance. henever, e desired position 15 reached, the clamping levers 10 and 13 are returned to their rest position or clamping position by raising of the rod 8 in the pipe 5 to a point where the clamping levers l0 and 13 make a definite angle with the clamping rods 8 to thereby lock the handle pipe 5. In the handle-swivel arrangement, the pipe or handle 5 through its mounting on the housing 1 pivots on the connecting member to any desired position about the pin 4 which is held in position on the connecting member by means of suitable retaining rings 19. Similar retaining rings 19 retain the pin 3 journaling the clamping pipe 18 on the connecting member and the pin 11 in the housing 1 journaling the clamping member 10.

Iclaim:

l. A handle-swivel arrangement for hand-guided appliances comprising, a stationary part and a pivotal part, a housing included in the pivotal part, a clamping arrangement within said housing, a handle pipe connected to the housing, a control rod positioned within the handle pipe and extending along the extent of the same for operating said clamping arrangement, said clamping arrangement including a clamping rod pivotally mounted on the stationary part and extending parallel to the pipe, a pair of clamping levers releasably engaging said clamping rod, and spring means biasing said levers apart, said control rod upon movement engaging and moving said clamping levers to selectively release and engage the clamping rod whereby the handle pipe can be locked steplessly in any desired position of pivotal movement relative to the stationary part.

2. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 1 in which the clamping levers are separately mounted for pivotal movement in the housing.

3. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 2 in which the clamping levers include apertures therein through which the clamping rod extends and the spring means encircles the rod and biases said clamping levers to a position of engagement with the clamping rod.

4. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 3 in which the clamping levers include rise portions thereon which engage to provide contact therebetween for simultaneous movement.

5. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 4 and including stop means on each of the clamping levers adapted to engage upon pivotal movement of one of the levers to provide a condition of alignment therebetween and release of the clamping rod.

6. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 5 and including guide means in the handle pipe for guiding the control rod into engagement with one of the clamping levers. 

1. A handle-swivel arrangement for hand-guided appliances comprising, a stationary part and a pivotal part, a housing included in the pivotal part, a clamping arrangement within said housing, a handle pipe connected to the housing, a control rod positioned within the handle pipe and extending along the extent of the same for operating said clamping arrangement, said clamping arrangement including a clamping rod pivotally mounted on the stationary part and extending parallel to the pipe, a pair of clamping levers releasably engaging said clamping rod, and spring means biasing said levers apart, said control rod upon movement engaging and moving said clamping levers to selectively release and engage the clamping rod whereby the handle pipe can be locked steplessly in any desired position of pivotal movement relative to the stationary part.
 2. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 1 in which the clamping levers are separately mounted for pivotal movement in the housing.
 3. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 2 in which the clamping levers include apertures therein through which the clamping rod extends and the spring means encircles the rod and biases said clamping levers to a position of engagement with the clamping rod.
 4. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 3 in which the clamping levers include rise portions thereon which engage to provide contact therebetween for simultaneous movement.
 5. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 4 and including stop means on each of the clamping levers adapted to engage upon pivotal movement of one of the levers to provide a condition of alignment therebetween and release of the clamping rod.
 6. The handle-swivel arrangement of claim 5 and including guide means in the handle pipe for guiding the control rod into engagement with one of the clamping levers. 